Union-Bulletin

warrior 6 months, 1 week ago on Giving thanks for service

Giving thanks for service

To say America is a "blood-thirsty" country and that Americans "worship war" are strong accusations and probably written by somebody who has never faced the enemies of the United States. Can you fathom what would have become of America had the Colonial Army not fought off the British to form an independent state? Have you forgotten what kept the country together during the period of Southern Secession? Can you picture what would have been had America not sent Soldiers to participate in both World Wars? Have you ever read George Orwell's "Animal Farm" - have you thought about the consequences of socialism? Do you remember the paranoia surrounding the attacks of the World Trade Centers? Do you know how many plots there have been to target even more American lives since September 11th? My guess is the answer is "no" based on what is written above. American service members make sacrifices every day so that people who want to protest the wars and conflicts going on around the world have the ability to do so. Whether you agree with the decisions our civilian leaders make with respect to war efforts and conflict resolution is your prerogative, just don't forget about all of the privileges you have because American Soldiers sacrificed and continue to sacrifice their lives. Do not confuse the Soldier with some kind of mass murderer or blood-thirsty mercenary. The American Soldier serves at the will of our civilian leadership in order to ensure your freedoms and your rights are not inhibited. John Stuart Mill articulated it best in The Contest in America, vol. 1, p.26 (1868): "...War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. When a people are used as mere human instruments for firing cannon or thrusting bayonets, in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, such war degrades a people. A war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice; a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice--is often the means of their regeneration. A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature, who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need be, to do battle for the one against the other...."

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